Successor

Chapter 7: Successor (One For All)

"Woah, so you were born quirkless like me, but then you got your power from All-Might?"

Kokei exclaimed as Deku finished describing the origin of One For All. 

"Yes and now you can have that power too"

Deku replied

"Wow.... I-I don't know what to say!"

Kokei gasped in shock.  His mind was racing at a million miles per hour. 

"But... why me?

He sputtered. 

"Because you understand the true meaning of what it means to be a hero.  If you're anything like your father then I know that I am making the right choice.  On top of that, I see a lot of myself in you.  I've already done my part and now it's time to pass the torch onto someone new.  Should you accept, you will become the next symbol of peace.  Making the world a better place day by day"

Deku replied.  Kokei clenched his fists and stood tall. 

"I accept"

He said triumphantly.

"Good.  Then meet me at Takoba Beach tomorrow at sunrise"

Deku bowed before walking away.  He stopped by one more gravestone before leaving the cemetery.

I'm sorry Toshinori

He kissed his fingertip and touched it to his sons tombstone, setting down a flower and taking a moment to pray before returning home.  The next day, he stood on the beach facing the ocean waiting for Kokei to arrive.

"Mr. Deku!"

Midoriya turned around to see Kokei running at full speed to the beach flailing his arms.

"I'm ready to begin my training Mr. Deku"

Kokei panted in between breaths, his hands on his knees.

"Just Deku is fine"

Midoriya chuckled as he helped the boy to his feet. 

"Before I can officially give you One For All, I need to make sure your body can physically handle the extreme backlash. When I first inherited the power I would break my bones whenever I would unleash a smash"

Deku pointed to a large pile of stuff he raided from the local junkyard. 

"We will alternate between strength, endurance, and combat training. Then once you have built your body up, I will give you my power"

Kokei nodded with a fierce look of determination in his eyes.  He used to train rigorously in his desire to become a hero, but as the years passed and his dream became less and less likely, he stopped focusing so much on working out and lost most of his gains.

"Work on moving the junk for an hour and then we'll switch to some martial arts"

Deku said before waking away to meditate on the beach.  Kokei ran off and began hauling heavy pieces of junk off the beach with the same drive that Deku had when he was first training to receive One For All.

"I'm done"

Deku opened his eyes to see Kokei standing triumphantly in front of the junk pile that was now about twenty-five percent smaller than it used to be. 

"Well done!"

Midoriya smiled as he rose to his feet. 

"Now let's move onto something fun.  Hit me"

He motioned getting in a fighting stance. 

"But you haven't taught me anything yet"

Kokei replied looking confused.

"I want to see what you already know and what your basic instincts and fighting style is.  So I'll ask again.  Hit me"

Kokei grinned and got in his own stance.  Deku nodded and the fight began.  Kokei threw a jab punch with his lead hand which Deku dodged.

"Keep em coming"

Kokei grimaced and threw a power hook this time.  Deku blocked it and threw a front kick to Kokei's midsection making him stumble backward.

"Always keep your guard up"

Midoriya smiled as Kokei tried a roundhouse kick.  Deku caught his foot against his waist and swept Kokei's other leg causing him to trip and fall. 

"Use your wits.  Get creative"

Midoriya said as Kokei scrambled to his feet.  Kokei thought back to when he would watch Deku fight on TV and formed a plan.  He threw another right hook which Deku easily parried and countered with a straight punch, but Kokei was expecting this and rotated his hips to dodge the punch.  Then he grabbed Deku's wrist and performed the heroes signature shoulder throw, slamming him into the sand. 

Midoriya coughed and struggled to his feet.  He did not brace for the impact and throw knocked the wind out of him. 

"Well done Kokei.  I can see you've been paying attention"

Midoriya smiled as he got to his feet. 

"I told you that you're my favorite hero"

Kokei smiled back. 

After a few weeks of  intense training, Kokei had transformed his body. He had moved all of the trash and drastically increased his speed, strength, and endurance, not to mention his fighting ability.

"Well done Kokei.  I do believe you're now ready to inherit one for all"

Kokei was super excited.  He had been wondering what the transformation process was  this whole time.  Would they do some kind of merging dance from Dragon Ball? Would Deku perform some kind of ritual where a beam of light would come down from the sky and slowly lift him up in the air? 

Midoriya raised his fist in the air and Kokei's eyes lit up.  Then Deku reached up and pulled out one of his hairs and held in in front of Kokei's face.

"Eat this"

Kokei frowned.

Really?